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Choline helps prevent neural tube defects.

choline neural tube defects

Folate and it’s chemically synthesized sister, Folic Acid, get a lot of press for their role in helping prevent neural tube defects. But did you know that they’re not the only ones needed to prevent them?

Yup. There are plenty of others. And today we’re going to talk about one of them: Choline.

Choline isn’t technically part of the B Vitamin complex, but it’s also known as Vitamin B4. Its importance reaches far and wide. It’s best known for its role in the development of baby’s brain. But most folks don’t know that it’s also important for neural tube health.

“Choline is critical during fetal development, particularly during the development of the brain, where it can influence neural tube closure and lifelong memory and learning functions.” (Sanders et al)

“Notably, there is an inverse relationship between the risk of neural tube defects and maternal choline intake or plasma choline concentrations, independent of dietary folate or supplemental folic acid intakes…” (Weideman et al)

“Our findings for choline, for which low levels were a risk factor and higher levels were a protective factor for [neural tube defects], may offer a useful clue toward understanding the complex etiologies of [neural tube defects] in an era of folic acid fortification of the food supply.” (Shaw et al)

These researchers make a great point…we’ve been fortifying our food supply with folic acid for a few decades now. You would think neural tube defects wouldn’t be a thing anymore (that’s a convo for another day :D), but:

“...the women in the lowest quartile for daily choline intake had a 4-fold greater risk of having a baby with [neural tube defects] than the women in the highest quartile for intake.” (Zeisel)

Did you catch that? Babies of women with low choline intake are at 4X risk for neural tube defects.🤯

So how can we get more choline?

One of my favorite choline-rich sources is eggs! These are a great way to get this incredible nutrient, as well as many others.

I will be expanding upon choline and many more baby-supportive nutrients in our upcoming course. Sign up via the link in my bio for updates. Stay tuned! :)

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Not medical advice.

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This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional before pursuing any changes to your personal healthcare regime.

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References

Nichols, L. CHOLINE IN PREGNANCY: FOLATE’S LONG LOST COUSIN. Retrieved from: https://lilynicholsrdn.com/choline-pregnancy-folates-cousin/.

Shaw, G.M. Finnell, R.H. Blom, H.J. Carmichael, S.L. Vollset, S.E. Yang, W. Ueland, P.M. (2006). Choline and risk of neural tube defects in a folate-fortified population. Retrieved from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17212955/.

Wiedeman, A.M. Barr, S.I. Green, T.J. Xu, Z. Innis, S.M. Kitts, D.D. (2018). Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6213596/.

Sanders, L.M. Zeisel, S.H. (2006). Choline: Dietary Requirements and Role in Brain Development. Retrieved from: https://europepmc.org/article/med/18716669.


Zeisel, S.H. (2006). THE FETAL ORIGINS OF MEMORY: THE ROLE OF DIETARY CHOLINE IN OPTIMAL BRAIN DEVELOPMENT. Retrieved from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17212955/.

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Remember: this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your own physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here. While the owner of this website tries to keep the information up to date, there may be things that are out-of-date and out of their control.